The other california exodus
Posted 12-29-2019 at 08:04 AM by pulsev2
We are all familiar with the exodus of people leaving California for Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, and all points east.
But there is another major exodus involving Californians coming to the Sacramento area from all points south, and points North. Droves of people fleeing the Los Angeles/Southern California area homeless implosion. As well as basically the entire overcrowded Bay Area selling off their overpriced homes and coming to Sacramento to cash in on a much cooler housing market. There are also throngs of people coming here from relief from Oregons troubled Portland liberal meltdown, as well as people from Washington, probably fleeing the Seattle meltdown.
I have commuted the same route from Sacramento to Dixon for over 20 years now. I have noticed a massive influx of new vehicles sporting license plates from Oregon and Washington. It went from a remote spotting 3 years ago to probably 2% of vehicles traveling the I5 corridor through Sacramento county past the Sacramento International Airport. Also, folks normally retain their license plate frames from the dealerships in the area they are from, and there is such a massive increase of drivers with plate frames from all over the Bay Area, that around the Natomas area, which is finally exploding after the lift of the construction ban last year due to levy conditions, that these out of town drivers are probably 25-35% of local traffic. Then they usually buy a home with cash from the sale of the Bay Area home, and buy brand new luxury vehicles with new local temporary plates and local dealer frames.
As a recent home buyer in the area, I can attest that homes here are selling extremely fast due to this exodus. Values are now rising rapidly. Inventory is very scarce. Bidding wars. Rental inventory is nearly non existent at any price. New 'loft' apartments downtown renting for $2900 and up. New homes are being constructed in less than ideal settings. New housing communities of tract homes going up across the street from a international airport. Homes being constructed in major floodplains in a rush to beat levy recertification. thousands of homes being constructed immediately next to major interstate highways. Roads not being expanded or redesigned for any of this activity. And if they are, it often takes 5 years for project completion. And there is now a massive Amazon warehouse next to the Airport, as well as a major development, the Sac Metro Business Park being constructed next to Amazon on i5, entailing new highway interchanges.
Across the street from the massive new housing development which empties onto a rural 2 lane road currently used as an alternate for airport traffic by locals.
Things are shaping up to be a MAJOR traffic congestion nightmare in the Natomas area where these new homes are going up, and for all the I5 commuters. the Alternate route to the Bay Area, which is mainly used, I80, has become unusable as of the start of the influx, roughly a year ago. Gridlock every afternoon. AFTER the 5 year retrofit to increase traffic flow through the Natomas area. That project was a horrible mess, and a financial failure.
Another issue which cannot go ignored are the folks who are now living in Sacramento and still working in the Bay Area at a high paying job. These new supercommuters have brought a horrible new style of driving, which I call "speedbombing". Basically racing your car instead of driving. Caution begone. Manners, laws, rules, courtesy and safety begone. Its a death wish, and more people are participating, since police are basically nonexistent on the highway, its a free for all. Truck drivers and even big rigs do this now, so its high risk even if you are an excellent defensive driver. Equipment constantly falling from truck beds, stones constantly cracking windshields due to all the construction vehicles. If you commute I80, you replace your windshield annually at least. The traffic scenario is definitely degrading, and normal is a thing of the past.
If traffic flow is not addressed now in the Natomas/airport area, and the Davis/I80 area, which it currently isn't, it will turn into carmageddon on a daily basis. Degrading the quality of life, again, for Sacramento residents.
But there is another major exodus involving Californians coming to the Sacramento area from all points south, and points North. Droves of people fleeing the Los Angeles/Southern California area homeless implosion. As well as basically the entire overcrowded Bay Area selling off their overpriced homes and coming to Sacramento to cash in on a much cooler housing market. There are also throngs of people coming here from relief from Oregons troubled Portland liberal meltdown, as well as people from Washington, probably fleeing the Seattle meltdown.
I have commuted the same route from Sacramento to Dixon for over 20 years now. I have noticed a massive influx of new vehicles sporting license plates from Oregon and Washington. It went from a remote spotting 3 years ago to probably 2% of vehicles traveling the I5 corridor through Sacramento county past the Sacramento International Airport. Also, folks normally retain their license plate frames from the dealerships in the area they are from, and there is such a massive increase of drivers with plate frames from all over the Bay Area, that around the Natomas area, which is finally exploding after the lift of the construction ban last year due to levy conditions, that these out of town drivers are probably 25-35% of local traffic. Then they usually buy a home with cash from the sale of the Bay Area home, and buy brand new luxury vehicles with new local temporary plates and local dealer frames.
As a recent home buyer in the area, I can attest that homes here are selling extremely fast due to this exodus. Values are now rising rapidly. Inventory is very scarce. Bidding wars. Rental inventory is nearly non existent at any price. New 'loft' apartments downtown renting for $2900 and up. New homes are being constructed in less than ideal settings. New housing communities of tract homes going up across the street from a international airport. Homes being constructed in major floodplains in a rush to beat levy recertification. thousands of homes being constructed immediately next to major interstate highways. Roads not being expanded or redesigned for any of this activity. And if they are, it often takes 5 years for project completion. And there is now a massive Amazon warehouse next to the Airport, as well as a major development, the Sac Metro Business Park being constructed next to Amazon on i5, entailing new highway interchanges.
Across the street from the massive new housing development which empties onto a rural 2 lane road currently used as an alternate for airport traffic by locals.
Things are shaping up to be a MAJOR traffic congestion nightmare in the Natomas area where these new homes are going up, and for all the I5 commuters. the Alternate route to the Bay Area, which is mainly used, I80, has become unusable as of the start of the influx, roughly a year ago. Gridlock every afternoon. AFTER the 5 year retrofit to increase traffic flow through the Natomas area. That project was a horrible mess, and a financial failure.
Another issue which cannot go ignored are the folks who are now living in Sacramento and still working in the Bay Area at a high paying job. These new supercommuters have brought a horrible new style of driving, which I call "speedbombing". Basically racing your car instead of driving. Caution begone. Manners, laws, rules, courtesy and safety begone. Its a death wish, and more people are participating, since police are basically nonexistent on the highway, its a free for all. Truck drivers and even big rigs do this now, so its high risk even if you are an excellent defensive driver. Equipment constantly falling from truck beds, stones constantly cracking windshields due to all the construction vehicles. If you commute I80, you replace your windshield annually at least. The traffic scenario is definitely degrading, and normal is a thing of the past.
If traffic flow is not addressed now in the Natomas/airport area, and the Davis/I80 area, which it currently isn't, it will turn into carmageddon on a daily basis. Degrading the quality of life, again, for Sacramento residents.
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